, 1887-10-19

my position by my solicitor. I could
give my wife a position which would
seem desirable in English eyes; 1 enter
tanned some e~xtravagant notions about
the new life at the hall and the
new Lady Favisham whom l would
introduce to my people. The most
dazzling beauty o the walls
of the old picture gallery would, 1 felt,
pale beside the charms of the last Lady
H~arcourt, countess of Favisham.
''Yet, how shall l describe my first
meeting with her? 1 heard her light foot
in the corridor, and the rustic of her
flooded the room, the odor of roses from
their tall green vases for a moment
turned me faint. Was it a fancy that
the old musty incense of the jungle where
the boa lies cooled entered the room with
her, emitted by her white garments?
''She glided toward me, scarcely max
ing a sound, and my senses seemed
bound by n spell.
There were no f%orbidding airs of
hauteur. She coiled her arms about me,
and slid her dusky cheek along until it
lay against mine; yet it was cooll
Il was very nearly overcome when my
aunt entered the room, bringing a cur
rent of fresh air with her. is she not
lovely, your little Indian savage?' point
ing to Zobeide, who seemed to drift-not
walk-over the floor to the piano, from
which she evoked such quaint minor
chords that l begged her to come and
talk to me instead of playing.
From that hour my soul passed out
of my body to the keeping of this girl.
She spoke TO me caressingly, soothingly,
as a child. When wearied of my cravings
for her kisses and caresses, she would
shut herself up for hours in her own
apartments, or would gallop away over
the downs on her black horse Selim, an
Arabian l had given her.
1--WE had married in London one day,
and began life in an irregular un-English
way, as my aunt had said. But we were
always together. If we gave no balls,
that was a mere matter of taste. / had
once had a passion for such diversions,
but it had died in me, as had most pas
sions except for my child wife. Zobeide
seemed to revel in the county ball at first,
and to gloat on the homage and admira-
ton she received. But very soon she
tired of that sort of thing, and even of
her rides with Selim, the great splendid
rooms, the library and the picture gallery,
the lakes, the swans, and the elm shaded
avenues, with snowy statues cleaning
ghostly In the moonlight.
''She had wearied Of the homage of
men, and the envious amazement of
women awe struck by her beauty, long
ago. She locked herself up more often
in her own wing, and always l~aughingly
refused to admit me. l cannot see why
l did not marvel at this, but this was no
more strange than that l gave up hunt
ing, which had been a passionate fancy of
mine before. My aunt had laid her hand
on my brow, saying
"'How changed you are, Henry!'
.Nonsensel' l had replied. 1T is you
who are altered. Where is Zobeide?'
Always that question: she muir
INJURED, in a tone of distress.
''Once she pulled me into her own
chamber, saying, in a way calculated to
startle me-but it did not
My dear boy, 1 want Il speak to
you. Unjust speak now with you. Why
do you allow Lady Favisham to amuse
herself daily with a brood of detestable
snakes?'
"Does she?' 1 asked, listlessly. my
good soul, why should 1 interfere if the
child really does amuse herself? Don't
worry about Zobeide, dear; 1 don'tl'
"'No, poor boyl 1 wish you did,
"Strangel l passed this conversation
off as if it had related to the hannels of
the rheumatic tenants. Yet ordinarily 1
should nave beer paralyzed with horror
at the idea of my wife juggling with
snakes. 1t sets my teeth on edge now
only to think of it, and it would nave
made my hair stand on end had l been
in my right mind.
81 was insane all that horrible summer
rrInr, - ,n1r -,1.l - EN,-s.l---.
Hall, the seat of a loyal and hot blooded
race, of which l was the last and least
worthy.
''Yet any n who knew Lady Har-
court at that time would not have Won
dered at her autocracy, 1 am sure. Even
the servants were tinctured with the
poisonous atmosphere, and only my aunt,
who constantly went abroad, was able to
shake off the leaden pail which had settled
down upon us at the Hall.
Suddenly, in obedience to the wishes
of my physician, 1 made ready to run
over to my shooting box in Scotland. 1
was stubbornly firm about taking my
wife with me, although she demurred
and even wept when l presented the tour
to her. l carried my point, and we were
away just ten days.
Lady Harcourt stipulated that her
wing of the Hall was to remain undis-
turbed during her absence. But she ex-
pected fully to be back within a week.
My aunt had gone to Rugby.
81 will try to describe ON coming
home as intelligently as possible.
81 had noticed with wonderful elaUion
that my head was clear and my whole
mind more coherent during our absence,
as if some terrible influence had been
wanting to sway and blacken my life.
ION the contrary, my wife, although
so young and lovely, with all the world
to fall at her feet, seemed strangely i'll at
ease during our trip, and grew SO nervous
nearing home that she actually leaped
from the carriage as it drew up before
the hall. She had coiled herself up in it
without a word, although 1 talked inces-
sanity of the rains and the hops.
perkins, the butler, gravely met us,
saying: Dinner waits, my lord, , like a
theatrical call boy. But my wife sprang
out and rushed off to her apartments with
her wraps on her arms, humming a little
strain of a Hindoo song which she knew
made me particularly unhappy.